`378 APPENDIX TO sERIifOÑS XX, XXI, Á'ND- XXdi. wide and dreadful floodgate would be opened by this means, -to let in an inundation of fraud and falsehood, and to practise all manner of deceit ! Let it be remarked also, that this doctrine is near a- idn to the popish abomination, " That no faith is to be kept with heretics.; for they are a sort of .dangerous men, who would rùin the church, and therefore they'have no right to truth." Now what .shameful and horrid perju- ries, and what execrable mischiefs, have sprung from this one impious principle of the church of Rome? The word of God gives no manner of indulgence to such licentious principles as these. We must wrong no man, iefra.ud ho man; we must not render to any man evil for evil, nor falsehood for falsehood, but overcome his -evil with our good : And we must provide things ho- nest in the sight of 'all men. It will be said, perhaps; that the scripture most "fre- quently mentions a neighbour or a brother, or- a-fellow- christian, in the prohibitions of lying and falsehood, as in the ninth commandment, Bear no false witness against thy neighbour. i Thess. iv. G. That no man de- fraudhis brother. Eph. iv. '25.. Speakever] man truth tohis neighbour. Lev. xis.- 11. Lie not one to another.' But let it be replied, that the scriptùre demands right cousness for the stranger also; I)eat. i. IG. and in se- veral other places. And when God, by his prophet .31alachi, forbids treacherous dealing with a brother, he gives this reason for it, Have we not all one Bather ?' Bath not one God created us ? Therefore all mankind Are' brethren inthis sense.- Our duty speak and prac- tise truth, arises= from our obligation to the-law of God; andsince God has not released us byany suchexceptions,' the lying and deceitful carriage of men does not- autho- rize us to practise deceit and lying. It is indeed a piece of an old latin verse, that is in the mouth of many, " I'allere' fallentenr non est 'fra.us ;" which may be Englished thus, To cheat a knave is no cheating*But I knew no verse in scripture that gives us this liberty. And I' think we may by the same rule steal from them that would steal from us, or plunder those who would plunder us.' I will readily grant, that when a contractor bargain i,s made, wherebyboth parties are obliged mutually toper-
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